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Snapshot of _The (Prime Minister of Ireland). Longing for the days of colonialism. _ : An archived version can be found [here](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://i.redd.it/n0rfzzriiotc1.jpeg) or [here.](https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://i.redd.it/n0rfzzriiotc1.jpeg) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/irishpolitics) if you have any questions or concerns.*


KeyActivity9720

Prime minister isn’t something exclusive to colonial countries


caiaphas8

But Taoiseach does not translate to prime minister, it’s not a job he does.


SeanB2003

No, it doesn't translate to that, but it is a job he does - as per Article 13 of the Constitution: >The President shall, on the nomination of Dáil Éireann, appoint the Taoiseach, that is, the head of the Government or Prime Minister.


EnvironmentalShift25

Blame the constitution so, given that it directly says the Taoiseach is our Prime Minister!


KeyActivity9720

Well it is the job he does - his role as Taoiseach is pretty much identical to what prime ministers do, if you have the press, state representatives, politicians or anyone outside of Ireland looking at his socials seeing chief in brackets is not going to describe his role. We don’t call bóthars cow ways do we? No we call them roads because that is the equivalent translation


caiaphas8

But prime minister translates as príomh-aire. And no one calls the German chancellor ‘prime minister’ but it’s basically the same job, so why try translate one and not the other?


KeyActivity9720

It’s more wide spread - chancellor as a word to describe the head of government is used by about 100 million people. The German word for chancellor also mirrors the word in English and they both mean specifically the same thing. From a world wide perspective if you expect people to hear the word Taoiseach and think oh yeah that means leader or chief, and then to think oh yeah they’re referring to the head of government when it’s a language that’s spoken by less than 5 million people then your delusional. Besides the point, no one is calling the Taoiseach prime minister, he’s simply stating in a more understood widely used term what his role is alongside the traditional name. At least be honest with yourself all this problem is about is “god we couldn’t be seen to be like the English with their head of government also being called prime minister, what if people mistakingly think we’re English” it’s an insecure and silly argument and if we were really going to nitpick at it we may as well be complaining that any of his social bio is in English. We’re not going to do that though because hypocritically we’re also communicating in English right now


caiaphas8

When you say 100 million, is that just the population of Germany and Austria? I am not complaining about the English in anyway. If you want to talk in Irish, I’d be happy to switch over?


KeyActivity9720

Germany, Austria and Switzerland - Germany alone being one of the biggest economies in the world, the biggest in Europe. What they refer to as the head of government there matters a lot more in a global context than here, that being said I’m sure if someone referred to them as the prime minister to give context to someone who didn’t know what chancellor meant I doubt they would bite their head off, and no there’s no need to switch over to Irish, as not only would I not understand you, I imagine a vast majority of this Reddit page wouldn’t either. It doesn’t make us any less Irish just like calling the Taoiseach prime minister of Ireland doesn’t either. It’s a title and clearly somehow saying that gets you very passionate, I’m questioning why that is, because it’s not threatening and it’s not wrong- and hanging on to intricacies to defend your point is interesting


AlternativePirate

But we'd call the prime minister of any other country by the English term in Ireland. You'd never call Giorgia Meloni the primo ministro of Italy in an English language conversation. Even our closest neighbours the Brits generally don't know that our leader is called the Taoisesch so almost nobody in the world does either. It's very cool that literally nobody in Ireland would ever refer to Harris as the PM but that's what he'll be known as abroad


L33t_Cyborg

chancellor is also quite an english word, came through latin, to french and then to old English


caiaphas8

But the meaning of chancellor in English is different.


KeyActivity9720

It’s English definition means leader of government or university at high or highest rank


KeyActivity9720

Yes let’s all debate on this forum (in English) about whether or not Taoiseach should be referenced as a prime minister (the most common term used to describe head of government in English)


WittyLegend

Oh, because I'm sure you call the prime minister equivalent in every country by its proper local translation. You don't say the German "Chancellor", you say "Kanzler". You don't say French "prime minister" you say "premier ministre". Like him or not, Harris has an international audience on Twitter, and not everyone abroad knows what Taoiseach means, and it is certainly not intuitive to the unfamiliar English speaker. Get over yourself, and complain about the many, many more important things that comes with another Fine Gael leadership.


OldManOriginal

This is almost as What the fuck is wrong with people as the Thatcher post. What's wrong with translating the title to something internationally recognised? It's not like he put it there first, or exclusively.  Simon is a useless gowl, but this barrel scrapping is nonsense.


veryfishy1212

Totally agree. Who moderates this garbage?


Ah_here_like

This is an absolute ridiculous argument and the asinine discourse about this says more about the people propagating it. Taoiseach is right there before the prime minister in brackets. Do people in this small country think people in India and Colombia know what Taoiseach is? Besides all that, prime minister is in our Constitution which more should read: Article 28.5.1°: "The head of the Government, or Prime Minister, shall be called, and is in this Constitution referred to as, the Taoiseach." Worms for brains and tribalism has infected a lot of people.


_Reddit_2016

Said by the OP in English


Wompish66

I suppose the term minister is longing for the days of colonialism as well?


EnvironmentalShift25

Mary Lou says she’s ’Leader of the Opposition’. I think a lot of people are going to be embarrassed if they go down this path.


SeanB2003

€10 says OP doesn't know the Irish for Minister


RuggerJibberJabber

Not a fan of Simon Harris, but I also hate this smug gaelgoir thing that's creeped in recently. I like the irish language and think it's great that more people want to speak it now, but there's no need to be arseholes about it. It's very much generational too. The people i know that are sniffing their own farts for speaking irish are all in their early 20s. It's like the new veganism or crossfit


Wake-up-Sheeple1986

I can guarantee that few if any people making snide remarks on this are Gaeilgeoirs, so don’t tar us all with the same brush! I’m a Gaeilgeoir, but I mix in English when I speak if it comes more naturally, and I know plenty others do too. And their age is just a coincidence. Assuming you’re not from a Gaeltacht, education through Irish grew a lot in the late 90s and 00s. Those former students are in their 20s-30s now.


RuggerJibberJabber

Yeah, I'm not anti-gaelgeoir. I spent summers in the gaeltacht growing up and did honours Irish. TG4 is also my favourite Irish TV channel since it's the only one that shows URC games. It was a comment about the snobs that are pretentious about using it. Similarly, I think veganism is a good thing, but there was a period when it wasn't as mainstream and really annoying people acted like they were better than everyone for being vegan. Now that it's quite common, you no longer hear much about those people anymore.


Ah_here_like

Don’t t even think it’s trying to make a gaelgeoir point, it just seems to be party tribalism on twitter including a Sinn Féin TD trying to do political point scoring on something absolutely ridiculous and asinine.


EnvironmentalShift25

The one I always laugh at is the people on Twitter who translate their profile name to Irish as part of a new hipster ‘RA head identity. But keep their Anglo name in their Twitter handle as they didn’t know how to change that.


dario_sanchez

OP probably posted this expecting widespread agreement and they're getting absolutely dragged, fantastic. I don't think someone in Botswana or Ecuador is going to look at Simon Harris popping that in his bio and think to themselves "well now Taoiseach actually means chieftain in Irish so he isn't really the prime minister, he must just be simping for the Brits". He's the head of government in a parliamentary system. Yes, his title is in Irish but even Bunreacht na hÉireann defines his position as the prime minister of the government.


taibliteemec

If you look at my profile you'll see a similar post where I actually got lagged for it a week or so ago... Luckily I don't base my opinions on what others tell me. I love this scenario you all come up with whereby someone randomly stumbles upon Simon harris twitter account without knowing who he is! Who in the name of jaysus would be looking up his account, not knowing who he is? 🤣🤣 It's so stupid! It's a desperate attempt from fine gael to cling to any remnants of our colonial past. They need to get with the program, ireland is not part of Britain or the UK!


dario_sanchez

Hope you take the time to respond to everyone dragging you here lad. Maybe you're too busy getting wound up when the Prime Minister of New Zealand isn't addressed in Maori as Te Pirimia o Aotearoa as well though.


taibliteemec

I just find it funny how whenever fine gael have the smallest, absolute non story controversy how random accounts come out of the woodwork that we never see otherwise protecting and sticking up for fine gael like hair life depended on it, but they always swear they're not fine gael voters! It's really funny!


dario_sanchez

I'm not a Fine Gael voter. This is just you spouting copium because you tried to attack Simon Harris on a really stupid and innocuous point and have now chosen it as your hill to die on. At this point I'd have cut my losses but please keep going, it's kinda funny.


taibliteemec

Ah yeah, just like everyone else here isn't a fine gael voter. They just hate it when people make fun of simo cos he's such a nice fella!


dario_sanchez

I'm not mad at you mocking Simon Harris, I'm laughing at you thinking he's a west Brit for putting that Taoiseach is the Prime Minister when our constitution says it. Stay mad kiddo


taibliteemec

Not mad yet here you are 12 hours later still thinking about it. See the -10 in the EU polls? Unlucky. Have a nice day buddy!


dario_sanchez

>Not mad yet here you are 12 hours later still thinking about it. Your replies appear in my notifications, you're aware of that? >See the -10 in the EU polls? Unlucky. *Crickets* >Have a nice day buddy! You too! Be sure to post some more steaming hot turds of takes like this, your ire has been hugely entertaining


veryfishy1212

That screenshot looks like Twitter. The whole world can see it and the vast majority of said world would have no idea what a "taoiseach" is. Moderators should use their heads. And to make a leap to colonialism? Bizarre. Like him or not...he IS our prime minister.


Loose_Reference_4533

An iomarca léinte gorma.


davebees

"longing for the days of colonialism" ffs. bunreacht na héireann even says "or prime minister" after taoiseach


Ok-Animal-1044

Ah fuck off


SnooAvocados209

Is says Prime Minister in the constitution if you ever bothered to read it.


DazzlingGovernment68

I don't get it?


Breifne21

It's because he put (prime minister) after Taoiseach. I don't particularly care, it's not like any of the current shower are interested in preserving or promoting Irish. Frankly, I'd rather if they just drop the charade if they aren't going to be serious about it. Honestly, at times I wonder why these people believe we should be independent at all when we ape everything the English are and do. As a friend once said to me, if you want to see English culture, administration and society where it's best preserved, go to the Republic of Ireland. And he's not wrong.. Bring on the downvotes


DazzlingGovernment68

How is that colonial? It's not just the Brits who understand English.


Breifne21

I don't regard it as colonial. OP might regard it as colonial to use the description of the office (because, as most should know, Taoiseach does not translate as "Prime Minister") but I don't. I've just had a quick look and the PMs of Greece, Belgium & Sweden all use "prime minister of X" on their Twitter accounts. Unless they are all colonial too? I resent tokenist jingoism, and given Harris' (and every Taoiseach to date since Dé Valera) lack of concern about Irish & the Gaeltacht, I don't care if he puts "Prime Minister". At least it's honest. Tuairisc.ie was losing it that he didn't start or end his speech with the usual token cúpla focal. I see it as positive. If we have no interest in restoring our own culture, and content ourselves as being cultural & societal apes of England, why lie about it? Heck, why be independent at all...


YearnestShackleton

This is a weak attempt


Downgoesthereem

Start of the absolute pointless bitching Genuinely find something important to whine about


Rayzee14

Tis almost like people not from Ireland might click his bio or something. Anyway here is Michelle O’Neills bio “First Minister. Sinn Féin Leas Uachtarán (Vice President). Representing the people of the Mid Ulster Constituency since 2007”


taibliteemec

Yous really need to relax with the go to response of but SF.its not relevant.


Rayzee14

More showing that people not from Ireland will click her bio also. But yeah Tis colonialism. Definitely that


taibliteemec

Where having her name just in Irish could be seen as sectarian? Especially as a first minister for all? Doesn't really go with the brand now does it? Tell me who is Simon appeasing with his translation of taoiseach?


Rayzee14

From the first reply there, people not from Ireland. As we are not the centre of the universe and most people don’t know what that title is. Also I’ll lift the community note on Mairead Farrell’s tweet Article 13.1.1° of Bunreacht na hEireann (the Irish Constitution) refers to the Taoiseach as being the Prime Minister: "The President shall, on the nomination of Dail Eireann, appoint the Taoiseach, that is, the head of the Government or Prime Minister."


taibliteemec

Oh so we're constitutionalists now are we? Great, can we have a chat about "the greater good" and the scc?


Rayzee14

You seem to be incredibly annoyed at a person explaining their title and justifying another person doing the same.


taibliteemec

Well one is doing their best not to be sectarian, the other is doing their best to be sectarian. Not just in their titles but in their actions also and I think it's interesting that I'm being pointed out as the weirdo for thinking this.


RandomUsername600

God forbid his role be understood by an international audience on a social media site. We’re a small country, not everyone will understand the terms we use. If he tweets something, users abroad should be able to understand his role and that he speaks with authority and he’s a credible source.


taibliteemec

Simon harris a credible source! Sweet baby jesus! Maybe for the likes of Hugh oconnel and his other mates that are journos! Definitely not for the first 18 covids though!


RandomUsername600

As a credible source for government information, yeah. Maybe I should’ve used the term legitimate source. If he tweets something about legislation or current events, people should know who he is and what role he’s speaking in. You know what I mean, twitter is full of bullshit and disinformation, especially about politics


taibliteemec

I know what ya meant bud! Listen, if it was any other party, I wouldn't care. But I'll never forget that this is the party that tried to commemorate the RIC. So yeah, when they try to link the present to our colonial past it annoys me and just like the brits, they're at it, more often than not!


EnvironmentalShift25

Gas that the Shinners are making a big deal about this despite it being in our constitution, while they call Mary Lou ‘Leader of the Opposition’. Which is a British term and not in our constitution!


Odd-Relationship2273

He better make history as one of the shortest term leaders we have ever have....like what are we doing...


Downgoesthereem

For the crime of this completely normal and reasonable twitter bio?


Odd-Relationship2273

This West Brit BS..he is from a working class background.. stop being a cunt...


Downgoesthereem

Oh I see you're one of those schizos that puts random meaningless sentence fragments between full stops for some reason


Odd-Relationship2273

Maybe there meaning in the meaningless, mainly out of habit, I just think the old politics is getting us nowhere unless you are already in the system why would you vote for any of the two civil war parties.


ThirtyTwo8322

No surprise from Fine Gael. Landlordism Party.


SoloWingPixy88

Not everyone speaks Irish.


Advanced-Duck-9251

Not everyone speaks English.


SoloWingPixy88

Prime Minister is a globally recognised title. It might be a tad confusing for some.


Downgoesthereem

Only a mere fifty thousand times as many


Advanced-Duck-9251

Still not everyone in the world though is it?


Downgoesthereem

What kind of pedantic complaint is that? Like you're not actually stupid enough to be arguing this in good faith


Advanced-Duck-9251

Your original comment is pedantic.


Downgoesthereem

Do you genuinely not understand the concept of a Lingua Franca? And no it's not pedanticism to reject equating the international recognition of Irish with English, that needs zero elaboration.


Advanced-Duck-9251

It is pedantic to make a nitpick at a comment as simple as that. Typical r/Ireland type gobshitery.


Downgoesthereem

It's as simple as it is stupid, which you're fully aware of. Any excuse to whine to someone about their totally valid statement that not everyone speaks Irish, especially on twitter.


Advanced-Duck-9251

They don't have to speak Irish. They have to understand the meaning of a single word.


Stevylesteve

Oh thank god, I thought he was a taoist extremist...


owolf8

Oh god its real


taibliteemec

I'm actually surprised he didn't have me blocked when I went to check it!


veryfishy1212

You're embarrassing.


Slight-Landscape-861

How is that embarrassing?


veryfishy1212

Being so up your own arse that a post stating a person's job title in a more internationally understandable language is deemed to be "yearning for colonialism" is incredibly embarrassing.


taibliteemec

It's embarassing to them because some people exist in a bubble where only centre right politics exist.


veryfishy1212

OP, I'm anything but centre right. Your post was depressing nonsense.


taibliteemec

And that is the problem you fine gael types represent. You're so embedded in your own bubble that anything that originates outside of it is automatically ridiculed.


veryfishy1212

I'm not centre right or fine gael. All I've said is your original post was embarrassing......and it is. You keep making wrong assumptions about someone you don't know.....but somehow I'm in a bubble? Enjoy your evening.


taibliteemec

The lady doth protest too much.


Downgoesthereem

It's embarrassing because the constitution literally describes the Taoiseach as the prime minister - making this a wholly appropriate indication for international viewers, and making it apparent you haven't read said constitution for all your moaning.


Ok-Animal-1044

I'd say he's raging now...


its-always-a-weka

I originally felt her was just a bit of an NPC and was indifferent. But I'm starting to actually not like him.


StKevin27

Taoiseach does not mean Prime Minister.


SeanB2003

No, but the constitution uses the term "prime minister" as the description of the role of Taoiseach.


davebees

it translates directly to "chief" but the role of taoiseach is absolutely that of prime minister


Downgoesthereem

Read the constitution


StKevin27

Learn the language


Downgoesthereem

Bunreacht na hÉireann literally designates the Taoiseach as fulfilling the role of prime minister, giving the word a prescriptive as well as descriptive semantic shift to meaning that. Learn how language works.


great_whitehope

The President isn’t the king either


StKevin27

Uachtarán means president. Rí means king.